The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and controversial UEFA chief Michel Platini have clashed over whether the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals should go ahead in view of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Platini told beIN Sport: “In [host country] Morocco, they are right to ask themselves about the organisation . . . or not . . . of the AFCON.”
“They should contact the World Health Organisation to know if there is a risk or not to play it. I think the health of the people is an absolute priority. It would not be easy to postpone it; the football calendar is extremely packed already.”
In a statement, CAF urged Platini, who has no influence over or connection with African football, to stay out of their business. African football’s governing body asked UEFA why football was not suspended in Ukraine in the height of a military conflict that saw a passenger plane shot out of the sky by a ground to air missile.
CAF has approached seven countries to see if they would be willing to replace Morocco, whose government is insistent that a date later than the currently scheduled January 17th would need to be tabled before the North African nation would consider hosting the tournament. However, no one may want the tournament. At least two of those countries have said they are unwilling, partly because of Ebola and the dangers associated with allowing large numbers of fans and others to travel from West Africa for the matches. South Africa’s sports ministry said last week the country would not be willing to host and Sudan ruled itself out on Wednesday.
“Hosting the African Cup of Nations means that huge numbers of national teams and their fans from African countries will enter our country and stay for the whole championship,” said Abdullah Al Fadel, an official with Sudan’s health ministry, adding there was a “danger of spreading the virus.”
In a strongly-worded letter to CAF President Issa Hayatou on Wednesday, Platini denied that he was interfering in CAF affairs and provided a transcript of the interview, where he said Morocco’s Ebola concerns were valid but repeatedly stressed it was CAF’s decision when to hold the cup.
“I now expect an immediate reaction of the statement in question, as well as a formal apology from the author of that statement,” Platini wrote in his letter to Hayatou. “Otherwise, I will react accordingly.”
Platini said CAF’s criticism of him was “unfair, unwarranted and even insulting” and was based on “inaccurate information.”
“At no point did I interfere in any way in the affairs of the Caf, and at no point did I call for or support the postponement of the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations,” Platini wrote, adding: “It is for Mr Hayatou to decide on the question of postponement.”
CAF is due to meet Moroccan officials on November 3 to discuss the hosting of the tournament.
